Brownings

Robert Browning was the inspiration for the “Sonnets form the Portuguese”. He was born on May 7, 1812 in a suburb south of London called Camber-Well. His family was abundantly wealthy, but he was forced to work at the Bank of England as a clerk. He was not fond of his job and really just despised it. His mother and her spirituality were major influences on his life. She was a great inspiration to him. He had the artistic leaning of both his parents. Robert attended a dame school. This is a school in which a workman taught children reading and writing in her own home. He then attended a boarding school. He later went on to attend Peckham School. At Peckham, he was forced to learn Latin and Greek grammar. Robert hated discipline, but he loved to read and would spend hours doing so. At the age of twelve he wrote his first volume of poetry, but he later destroyed it. When he was fourteen he left Peckham School. He then studied under tutors at home for two years. He did however continue learning Latin and Greek. Robert idolized George Gordon and Lord Byron. He even adopted a few of Lord Byron’s personal mannerisms. However, he later began to think Lord Byron was too egotistical. Robert began to experience with atheism, and became a vegetarian. Although Robert had a good education, he still craved more. He was raised as a Congregationalist. This meant he could not attend Oxford, so he enrolled at the University of London. At the University of London he found classes dull and uninspiring, so he left there. He had always considered becoming a poet, but he had begun to become uncertain. He became inspired by Richard III, and began writing earnestly. He wrote one major poem titled “Paracelsus” and the play “Straf...

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...st is excommunicated and charged with adultery. The daughter was then sent to a nunnery. It became known that the daughter was pregnant, and she was sent to live with her parents in Rome. A few months later she gave birth to a baby boy. The nobleman realizes he must have the child in order to gain his inheritance. He then travels to the estate in Rome with four accomplices. He murdered the girls parents and stabbed his wife twenty-two times. She survived long enough to identify him. The baby was left unharmed. All five attackers were caught, arrested, convicted. They were sentenced to death on February 22, 1698. Because he was a nobleman he was beheaded. His accomplices were hanged in front of a large crowd. The final section of the poem reintroduces the speaker from the beginning. He concluded with a commentary on nature of art and role of the truth in poetry.